Orissa HC Seeks Report On Vacancies In Healthcare Institutions

The High Court of Orissa has asked the State government to submit a report on the filling of vacancies in posts of doctors in healthcare institutions of Odisha. The HC has directed State Health Secretary to file an affidavit clarifying the number of doctor posts lying vacant in State-run medical colleges and hospitals at the district level.

Hearing a PIL on the dilapidated healthcare services sector and the huge scarcity of doctors in the State, the Orissa High Court has sought a detailed report from the Odisha government with an explanation on how it plans to fill the vacancies and the period it needs to take for the same.

Earlier, the Health Secretary had furnished a report before the bench of the HC citing that as many as 337 doctor posts are lying vacant in medical colleges in Odisha while there are at least 1695 vacancies at hospitals in the district level.

In January this year, the government had announced to appoint 2,452 doctors, in the State's biggest ever recruitment drive to resolve poor healthcare services in Odisha. After five months, the OPSC had cleared the names of 786 doctors for the government service.

A few days ago, the OPSC had announced to run a special recruitment drive for SC and ST candidates to fill 1586 posts of Medical Officers (Assistant Surgeons) in Group A (Junior branch) of the Odisha Medical and Health Services Cadre.

The next hearing in the matter has been scheduled for October 5.